diff --git a/repos/os/run/bomb.run b/repos/os/run/bomb.run
index a0050956eb..f1970ebb9c 100644
--- a/repos/os/run/bomb.run
+++ b/repos/os/run/bomb.run
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 build "core init test/bomb drivers/timer"
 
-set timeout 240
-set rounds 20
-
+set timeout     240
+set rounds      20
+set generations 6
+set children    2
+set sleep       1500
+set demand      [expr 1*1024*1024]
 
 if {[have_include "power_on/qemu"]} {
 	append qemu_args "-nographic -m 128"
@@ -12,6 +15,9 @@ if {[have_include "power_on/qemu"]} {
 	if {[have_spec foc_x86_64]} { set rounds 6 }
 }
 
+# prevent hitting the socket-descriptor limit on Linux
+if {[have_spec linux]} { set generations 4 }
+
 set config {
 <config prio_levels="2">
 	<parent-provides>
@@ -39,7 +45,8 @@ set config {
 		<resource name="RAM" quantum="2G"/>}
 
 append config "
-		<config rounds=\"$rounds\" generations=\"6\" sleep=\"1500\"/>"
+		<config rounds=\"$rounds\" generations=\"$generations\"
+		        children=\"$children\" sleep=\"$sleep\" demand=\"$demand\"/>"
 
 append config {
 	</start>
@@ -51,6 +58,4 @@ install_config $config
 
 build_boot_image "core init bomb timer"
 
-run_genode_until "Done\. Going to sleep\." $timeout
-
-puts "Test succeeded."
+run_genode_until {.*Done\. Going to sleep.*} $timeout
diff --git a/repos/os/src/test/bomb/main.cc b/repos/os/src/test/bomb/main.cc
index 3437bc7f37..cf81a39da8 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/test/bomb/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/test/bomb/main.cc
@@ -258,6 +258,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	unsigned long const demand = node.attribute_value("demand", 1024UL * 1024);
 
 	log("--- bomb started ---");
+	if (timer())
+		log("rounds=", rounds, " generations=", generation, " children=",
+		    children, " sleep=", sleeptime, " demand=", demand/1024, "K");
+
 
 	/* connect to core's cap service used for creating parent capabilities */
 	Cap_connection cap;